Euro 2024 – Round of 16 Overview
A Grinder for Favorites and a Potential Surprise Semifinalist
We might witness thrilling derbies as early as the quarterfinals: England-Italy, France-Portugal, and Spain-Germany.
Each of the 16 teams remaining in Euro 2024 has a clear path to the final in Berlin. As it happened three years ago in the previous continental championship, one side of the bracket is filled with several super-favourites, while the other will likely have (at least) one surprising semifinalist.
Here’s how the tournament bracket is arranged:
Upper Bracket:
Spain vs. Georgia / Germany vs. Denmark
The winners of these matches meet in the quarterfinals.
Portugal vs. Slovenia / France vs. Belgium
The winners go head-to-head in the quarterfinals.
Naturally, we anticipate clashes between Germany, Spain, France, and Portugal well before the final. No teams like Slovenia, Belgium, Georgia, or Denmark will agree with this assumption, but the super-favourites are four in this bracket and are bound to meet if they win their round of 16 matches.
These would be quarterfinals worthy of a final.
These four teams are among the top five favored by bookmakers to win the championship. The other is England.
If the upper bracket should not have a semifinal without two of these four teams, with Belgium being the only team capable of breaking this scheme twice (beating France in the round of 16 and then another favorite in the quarterfinal), the situation in the lower bracket is different.
Lower Bracket:
Romania vs. Netherlands / Austria vs. Turkey
The winners meet in the quarterfinals.
England vs. Slovakia / Switzerland vs. Italy
The winners go to a duel in the quarterfinals.
So, one of the teams among the Dutch, Romanians, Turks, and Austrians will certainly be a semifinalist.
After Austria’s spectacular victory against the Netherlands 3-2 in the group stage, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them face off again in the quarterfinals. However, the Turks should be considered. The Romanians are the team with the least arguments from this quartet, but… this European Championship has not been logical.
England seems unlikely to have problems reaching the quarterfinals, but they might face Italy there. Memories of the Euro 2020 final are still fresh, but the English beat this opponent twice in the Euro 2024 qualifiers.
Could Switzerland be preparing for another big surprise after eliminating France four years ago in the knockout stages?
In any case, there will be at least one semifinalist here who was not a major favorite for the trophy. And when you’re in the semifinals… anything is possible, and dreams are free.
Here’s what to expect – all rounds of 16 matches by date:
June 29 / Berlin / Switzerland vs. Italy
The knockout stage of the European Championship in Germany kicks off with an intriguing duel between the reigning champion, Italy, and the resilient team of Switzerland.
The “Azzurri” barely squeezed through to the second phase, while the “Crusaders” performed solidly in their group, advancing without a loss.
The Swiss have a score to settle with the Italians for their 3-0 defeat in the previous Euros’ group stage. The two teams have met twice more since then in World Cup qualifiers, with both matches ending in draws.
All preliminary predictions point to another draw as the most likely outcome in regular time for this match.
In fact, in the last six matches between these opponents, there have been five draws and only one win for Italy. Switzerland is a team that finds it hard to win and lose, regardless of the opponent.
Their group stage games demonstrated this, with the team drawing 1-1 with both favorites Germany and underdogs Scotland.
The Italians also advanced in their typical style, scoring a goal in extra time against Croatia. Both teams are expected to approach the game cautiously.
We’ll soon find out if the most logical outcome prevails and if another match will end in a draw during regular time.
June 29 / Dortmund / Germany vs. Denmark
Germany and Denmark face off in an intriguing round-of-16 match. It will be a repeat of the Euro 1992 final, in which the Danes triumphed 2-0 to become European champions. However, things seem quite different now.
Germany showcased a completely different side from their pre-tournament form by thrashing Scotland 5-1 in the opener, securing their path upwards with a 2-0 win over Hungary, and clinching first place in Group A with a tough 1-1 draw against Poland.
Many believe Denmark is a preferred opponent over defending champions Italy.
Denmark, with three draws (1-1 against Slovenia and England and 0-0 against Serbia), narrowly secured second place over Slovenia due to additional criteria, setting up a clash with the hosts in the round of 16.
The “Danish Dynamite” showed stability in these matches, but whether that will be enough today and if Kasper Hjulmand, much more experienced than Nagelsmann, can devise a winning strategy to challenge the hosts remains to be seen.
June 30 / Gelsenkirchen / England vs. Slovakia
Despite not meeting expectations before Euro 2024, England had tremendous luck, and the path to the much-coveted championship title in Germany is almost clear. Gareth Southgate’s team drew the easiest possible opponents towards the final.
Unlike the other favorites, who ended up in the same half for the knockout stages, the British have seemingly easier opponents on the way to Berlin, where the final will be held.
English fans could be more enthusiastic after the first phase of Euro 2024 in Germany. Harry Kane and company won Group C after a narrow victory over Serbia (1-0) and draws against Denmark (1-1) and Slovenia (0-0).
The team’s play was far from what “Three Lions” fans worldwide wanted to see.
An emblematic photo showed an English fan sleeping in the stands during the match against Slovenia, seemingly bored by what was happening on the field.
Whether England will show a different face in the crucial knockout matches remains to be seen very soon.
June 30 / Cologne / Spain vs. Georgia
Football fans in Georgia have finally experienced great joy. There is enormous euphoria throughout the country after the national team, debuting in the European Championship, managed to advance from the group stage and is now gearing up for a round-of-16 battle with Spain.
The talented generation, led by Napoli star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the good work of French coach Willy Sagnol, and a bit of luck facing already qualified Portugal in the third match, helped achieve the great goal.
Now everyone is wondering how long Georgia’s fairytale at the European Championship in Germany will continue and whether we will witness more sensational victories like the one against Ronaldo and company.
In the round of 16, the Georgians face one of the main title contenders, Spain. Spain has recorded three wins so far with a goal difference of 5-0, continuing its attempt to advance as far as possible in the tournament.
Luis de la Fuente’s team has left excellent impressions with its play in the European Championship so far. It is the only team to record three wins since the start of the tournament.
July 1 / Dusseldorf / France vs. Belgium
One of the most intriguing matches in the round of 16 is undoubtedly the game between France and Belgium.
Both teams have not been convincing since the beginning of the tournament. The “Roosters” advanced from their group after a win and two draws, and the “Red Devils” recorded a win, a draw, and a loss.
They finished second in a group where all four teams had equal points after the last matches.
The French and Belgians played in the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where Didier Deschamps’ team won 1-0 and later became world champions.
Belgian media heavily criticized the team’s performance in the last group-stage match against Ukraine. Fans booed the players on the field, and some newspapers even called them accountants for not playing their beautiful football but focusing on calculations to advance from the group.
Whether their calculations will prove correct will be known on July 1.
July 1 / Frankfurt / Portugal vs. Slovenia
Portugal enters this match as a clear favorite, and anything other than advancing will be considered a failure.
On the other side of the coin is Slovenia, which is experiencing truly dreamlike days at this European Championship and is surprised by its performance so far.
Even one of its stars, the experienced Josip Iličić, expressed surprise that his team reached the round of 16 after being among the best third-placed teams in the groups following three draws in the group stage of the tournament.
The 36-year-old Iličić came off the bench in the match against England and played the last quarter-hour. “Did I imagine being with Slovenia in the European Championship and the round of 16? Honestly, I was only thinking about the sea this summer.”
Portugal, however, is undoubtedly cautious after losing to Georgia in the last group stage match and should not rush into confidence that this is a routine match.
July 2 / Munich / Romania vs. Netherlands
The Netherlands national team does not match the level of their fans, who create an incredible atmosphere throughout Germany. The supporters of the “Tulips” perform excellently and turn German streets into an orange sea.
Unlike them, Ronald Koeman’s team disappoints on the field. The team barely passed the group stage. The beginning was promising – a hard-fought 2-1 win over Poland. Goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen stood out in the goalless draw against France.
Defensive problems were exposed in the last group stage match, which Austria won 3-2. The attack also contributed to this result with significant misses.
The Romanians won their group after a draw with Slovakia, which was seen as almost pre-arranged because it suited both teams. Surprisingly, the Romanians will meet the Netherlands instead of one of the less demanding teams.
This is a great opportunity to show whether they genuinely possess a new golden generation of footballers or have already reached their maximum potential.
2 July / Leipzig / Austria – Turkey
Austria is one of the pleasant surprises of Euro 2024, having finished first in a tough group to qualify for the round of 16 and now facing Turkey, the team dreams of making it to the top eight and perhaps even further.
Over the past year, Austria has enjoyed an impressive streak. The team has played 15 matches, securing 10 wins and suffering only two losses.
Notable victories include their win over the Netherlands at Euro 2024, a friendly match triumph against Germany, and a resounding 6-1 success against Turkey—their upcoming opponent in the round of 16.
One of Austria’s losses came against France in the opening match of the European Championship, which was decided by an own goal.
The Turkish national team is motivated to take revenge for its humiliating loss in the March friendly match against Austria.
A major asset for the Turks is their numerous supporters in Germany, who make every match feel like a home game.